It’s Chelsea away today, and this is a game which could have a big impact on the early part of our season. A win would put us level with them on points, ahead of Sp*rs, and possibly into the top four. Another defeat against a big side on the road would just add salt to wounds which have been festering a bit since Anfield a few weeks ago.
On that day, Arsenal looked bereft of ideas but also, most tellingly, motivation. The performance begat the result, and anything similar today against a side as good as Chelsea will be inevitably similar. We have corrected ourselves somewhat with two wins in a row, scoring 6 times and conceding just once, but with all due respect to Bournemouth and Cologne this is a far different proposition.
The big issue for the manager is how to set up his team. With two wins from our last three encounters with Chelsea coming when we used a back three, he must be tempted to stick with it. However, he can’t have been blind to the fact that when we shifted to a back four against Cologne we were much, much better, and having that extra man in midfield allowed us much more control over that key area of the pitch and thus the game.
Even against Bournemouth there were midfield issues. Ramsey and Xhaka were good, but still left far too much space when we went forward, and that will be manna from heaven for Chelsea if we do that today. They have the quality to exploit that, and the quality in the final third to punish us too. If it were me, I’d be much more inclined to have three in midfield than three at the back, but it remains to be seen what Arsene Wenger thinks in that regard.
Of course he could sacrifice one of the front three, playing a 3-5-2 perhaps, and if news of Mesut Ozil’s injury is correct that might make that decision a bit easier. I suspect, however, he’ll start with the 3-4-3, knowing that he’s got the ability to change the formation if required.
So I’d expect something like: Cech, Koscielny, Mustafi, Monreal, Bellerin, Xhaka, Ramsey, Kolasinac, Alexis, Welbeck, Lacazette.
There are some who will point out that the last time we won away against one of the big teams – the 2-0 at Man City in January 2015 – Ozil was on the bench. I don’t really believe the presence of the German is the real issue though. It’s fair to say he doesn’t stand out in these games, but then that’s also true of almost every player when we perform poorly and the results don’t go our way.
I’d rather have him in the squad than not, but the front three I’ve listed has plenty of pace and power, and the ability to press well when they have possession. It was interesting to read Per Mertesacker talking during the week about what Arsenal need to do in their half. Speaking about the FA Cup final and Community Shield wins, he said:
I think those who watched the games very closely could see they have got habits, especially playing out from the back. We allow them just a little bit, but not too much, and stand on the right side of our position. The key is to stick to what we have done. We have to prove it at Stamford Bridge, we need to implement the same habits.
The cup final in May could well be a blueprint for how to approach today, the only real difference is the venue, but as I wrote yesterday you can’t ignore that factor. Still, we know we can get good results against Chelsea, and the captain is 100% right to say they have to prove it at Stamford Bridge.
Having reacted quite positively to what happened at Anfield with relatively kind fixtures, this is the big test for us. At the very least we need to see a fully committed, disciplined performance. It’s a cliché to talk about giving 100% but if we do that then there’s a very good chance we get something from this game today. Anything less and we could find ourselves making our way back home with our tail between our legs again.
There’s a chance here today to get ourselves back on track. It’s too early to say it would turn the season around, but a win would be massive for confidence and belief. It would go some way to answering some of the many questions people have about this team and the way it’s managed.
That said, I think first and foremost this is a game that we simply cannot lose, because that would create more questions. Arsenal found wanting on another big away day wouldn’t be a surprise, but it would certainly add weight to burden we’re carrying. Let’s hope we can overcome this psychological barrier away from home, and put in the kind of performance we know they are capable of.
It’s a test of character and that famed mental strength. Fingers (everything) crossed.
—
Join us later for live blogging of the game, and afterwards for all the match reports, stats, and the rest on Arseblog News.
Come on you reds.
